Terrain and Zombie Survival
Metropolitan Cities Cities, especially large metropolitan cities, are one of the worst places to combat the undead. With very large buildings and skyscrapers, metropolitan cities tend to have a very high and dense population of the undead. Urban combat is one of the most tedious and repetitive forms of combat there is. One must enter the building, search every individual room, closet, and basement, and then move onto the next one, leaving many areas open to ambush by either undead or humans. The range of combat in cities will also usually consist of close quarters combat (CQC), making long weapons such as rifles ineffective and potentially lethal to the user. The close quarters nature of combat also increases the number of zombies that can be encountered at close range, increasing the chance to be infected. It is advisable to lure the zombie population out of the city and employ post-Yonkers tactics before entering it. In the early stages of an outbreak, there is also the chance that the military may bomb the city. Suburbia The suburbs are one of the best short-term survival places, post outbreak. The suburbs are usually far enough away from large cities to avoid large and dense hordes of zombies, but populated enough to be easy picking grounds for food, clothes and possibly ammo. The houses also provide many, easily securable locations for temporary shelter. However, the suburbs carry with them the chance that the houses will already have been cleaned out of everything useful by other looters or the families themselves as they fled. Underground Any location underground is a terrible situation to be in during undead combat, and an equally worse one to live in post outbreak. Being underground during an outbreak is possibly one of the worst possible areas to be. It does not make one safe, only more vulnerable and susceptible to death. However, if you find a cave with a small river running through it, far from civilization, you may be able to effectively barricade the entrance. This will not prevent you from running out of supplies, and the remainder of the cave should be mapped and explored in the event that there is a back entrance, either for your own team to use in escape, or in order to blockade it as well to stop the undead. Lights are a must have in this sort of base. However, gas deposits may render firearms useless, there are no natural lights and the possibility of hitting a dead end during an escape are downsides. If this is the only option left, make sure that there are multiple exits from the tunnels, and head for it if the cave position does not seem tenable. If a system of tunnels needs to be cleared, either lure the zombies out, or seal off all exits so they cannot escape. Sealing off all entrances/exits is a short-term solution, however, with the possibility that the seals will break or future generations will open them, unleashing the plague again. Rainforests Rainforests are a hostile location to survive in, but it is possible. The extreme moisture will breed germs, making disease common, especially with any cuts or bruises. It will also ruin clothes, jam guns, and attract bugs. There were reports of survivors having fled into the jungles of South America, and survived successfully by setting up a base on the Mayan pyramids. Zombies will rot much faster in these locations, and the wildlife will be a good early warning system, because when the normally noisy jungle suddenly falls silent, you know the undead are nearby. Due to the dense canopy of the rainforest, it is possible to set up a base in the trees far above the heads of the zombies, but don't try it unless you are an experienced tree-climber, a very capable builder and have plenty of resources on hand. Mountains Mountains can be among the best places to survive a zombie apocalypse, due to the relative remoteness and the amount of resources. However these are best-case scenario conditions for a mountain. There are also many hazards related to mountains, such as the fact people will likely try to find refuge there, possibility of zombies in the valleys, steep and very difficult to build on slopes and the inhospitable nature of mountains themselves. However, many mountains, especially those close to civilization, may contain a ski resort. These resorts will be easily defensible, have a small amount of food stocked and are far enough away that large hordes aren't much of a threat. Canyons Why is this even in here? Probably to tell you how bad you they are. If you manage to barricade a base and secure supplies (enough to stay alive for a good few months), you are still in your own grave. Most canyons are out of the way and away from major cities. However if most everyone in urban and suburban areas are infected or gone, zombies may wander down into canyons. Canyons are often found in deserts, however they are also by rivers, possibly providing a source of water. If it is a box canyon, you could barricade one main side. For the most part, you're better off somewhere else. Deserts Deserts are a difficult place to live in at any time, even without zombies. The inhospitable nature of deserts makes this one of the worst locations imaginable. The only good thing is that since so few people live in the desert, there will be a lack of the undead early on. However, many places in deserts that are livable will already have some sort of settlement built there. If you insist on surviving out here, learn where all of the water sources are beforehand. If you have experience in deserts they can be great for survival. Main sources of food would likely include desert snakes and lizards, some of which are poisonous, which may be tricky to catch. The open terrain can provide early warnings of the undead, however you should still refrain from entering desert unless you are adept at desert survival. Tundra The tundra is similar to a desert, but instead of blistering heat there is the constant cold and often times below freezing temperatures one will have to endure. If you can survive here, then by all means set up a base here, but be careful of the low temperatures and harsh, unforgiving environment. In the winter, the temperature, snow, and ice will freeze zombies solid, however they can also easily freeze a person to death, and food sources are likely to be very rare - especially if you are in a large group. Bring heavy clothing and high calorie food if you plan on setting up camp here. Tundra is not recommended in a survival situation of any type. Swamps Swamps are often wet, and full of decomposing material leading to high possibilities of disease, contaminated water and festering infections. Swamps are often also home to a variety of sometimes-dangerous wildlife such as alligators and snakes. Constant moisture in footwear can immobilize even the hardiest of survivors with trench foot. Heavy foliage will make it difficult to determine what way you are heading and conceal possible threats, and the often moist, muddy ground will make construction tough. Though they are very scantly populated and won't attract many zombies, there is a reason for their lack of population. In unfortunate cases, zombies may have fallen into water-filled pits or sinkholes that seem shallow, waiting for a misstep. If skilled in construction, the heavy density of trees could be used to build a base that would be effectively zombie-proof, however the collection and maintenance of supplies will be a difficult venture. Plains Plains give lots of notice before the undead reach you, although spotting them may be troublesome depending upon the height of the grass. There may be an abundance of small game and the soil tends to very fertile, allowing for easy sustained growth of food. Enough food could be grown to live in relative comfort, as long as you have some sort of walls to protect the fields; unfortunately sound travels well across the plains; a moaning Zombie could start a chain swarm, luring in zombies from large swathes of surrounding areas, although spotting them may be troublesome due to the tall grass. If you have enough survivors to construct such a base, it could be an excellent area to survive. Bodies of Water This is not an advisable survival location. It is only somewhat advisable with a large, well-stocked ship, or oilrig. With very little in the way of a reliable way to catch or grow food, one will have to make trips back to the mainland. This reliance on the mainland will also put one in the way of dangerous storms and, with the lack of protection from the storms, could prove to be extremely devastating to any survival plan. The smaller the body of water, the higher chance the chance the water is polluted. On the ocean, water will ironically be scarce, since salt water will just dehydrate the human body faster. Rivers While being bodies of water themselves, rivers are different than lakes or oceans. They can vary from being a few feet deep at most to dozens of feet deep, they can also be surrounded by anything from tall buildings to farm lands to steep, rocky cliffs. While the flowing nature of rivers reduces the chance of pollution, they are not guaranteed food sources and can freeze up during winter. If one can find a suitable location along a riverbank, such as a location with relatively flat surroundings away from civilization that has some form of regular animal life nearby, a riverbank could be a viable permanent location. Category:Survival